Sorry to be a wet blanket, but ALL is too much. Personal and sensitive data have to be excluded. So also business microdata. There may be other categories, but those are the obvious ones. I think there are legitimate questions on how raw the data should be (or not). And there must be classes of data where without extensive documentation damaging mis-interpretations are likely. But with caveats I like the idea…

Yes, you are quite right. There are certainly kinds of data and situations for which CC-by is not appropriate. ALL is too much.

It’s tough. These are the minority of situations, but they get the majority of attention. As a result, the message that MOST data can (and should?) be widely and openly and freely shared is rarely trumpeted.

Especially since I’m in a biomedical department, in trumpeting I’m usually careful to include the caveats. Didn’t this time… thanks for calling me on it, so as to keep the call real and responsible in its enthusiasm.

I think a lot of people like the idea of CC-BY but are not sure how to do it technically. That’s one reason I suggest Wikispaces for open notebook applications – CC-BY is the default for all free content. You can also use Google’s advanced search to make sure that your website is properly configured and makes it through the license filter.